Laymen participating in the Asian Continental Assembly see the synod as a vehicle for bringing change, new ways of thinking, and new directions, and are happy to have contributed their Asian voices to the process.
There are eight laymen among the delegates participating in the Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality. They were chosen as delegates by their respective Episcopal Conferences.
In an interview with Vatican News, six of them share the concerns, the hopes, and the dreams they have brought with them, which they have been sharing throughout the three-day Assembly.
Suklesh Costa represents Bangladesh and works among the poor in his country through Caritas. He brings the expectations of the people he serves with him to the Assembly. “What is synod?” Suklesh asks. “The synod is humanity. So, while I am working with Caritas, I’m working with the Synod,” he affirms.
“Synod means learning together,” Suklesh continues. “So, I’ll carry this message, and I will journey together with many groups of people, with the poor peoples. And I will witness the love of Christ to the poor people. So, this is my commitment that we will bring some changes for the new millennium in the Church. We are Church,” Suklesh continued, “so together we will be Church.
